Well, 2021 started with a bang as not far into January, I discovered the happy news that I was pregnant. With time feeling like it was going very slowly, I wanted to book a local getaway for the end of trimester one as something to look forward to, and ahead of sharing our announcement with everybody.

When it comes to looking for a holiday escape off the coast of Brisbane, I’m sure the likes of Stradbroke and Moreton Islands jump to mind, yet there’s a pocket of four Southern Moreton Bay Islands (also known as the Bay Islands) that are often overlooked. Made up of Karragarra Island, Lamb Island, Macleay Island, and Russell Island, they’re great for a day trip but you can also stay a little longer if you’re longing for some island R&R closer to home.

We chose the smallest Karragarra Island (approximately 500m wide and 2km long) for a peaceful two-night stay through Airbnb. Boarding the ferry from Redland Bay, it’s an easy 15-minute ride on the passenger ferry or 35-minutes on the vehicle ferry. Set in a quiet waterfront area, the house was a bit run down but it was spacious, dog-friendly (Albus came too), and it had everything we needed. There were even some bikes and kayaks out at the back that we were welcome to use, as well as a table tennis table and a badminton court.

There are no stores/bars/cafes on this island so you need to come prepared with all of your food, but you will find a white sandy beach (when the weather is good — we visited just after a storm hit), a swimming enclosure, and beachfront BBQ area free for all to enjoy. We particularly enjoyed cycling around the island as it was a great workout up some hills and we barely saw anyone — it felt like we had it all to ourselves!

During our full day there, we went island hopping around the other Bay Islands as the interisland ferry is free and it takes just minutes to travel between them. Dogs are welcome on board but they must be museled so we left Albus at the Airbnb, but we had a lovely day exploring along with breakfast at Aunty Alice’s Cafe on Russel Island, and a drink at Macleay Island Hotel. All in all, Karragarra is a peaceful, budget-friendly, and non-tourist alternative to its neighbouring islands Stradbroke and Moreton.

Another close-by island worth exploring is Coochiemudlo Island — read my blog post here.